Door latch safety release



y 28, 1968 D. PORVIN 3,385,620

DOOR LATCH SAFETY RELEASE Filed Nov. 5, 1966 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,385,620 DDOR LA'HJH SAFETY RELEASE Dennis Porvin,17601 Kentucky Ave., Detroit, Mich. 48221 Filed Nov. 3, 1966, Ser. No.591,894 6 (Ilaims. (Q1. 292-59) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE actuatingmechanism accessible from the interior of the vehicle and selectivelyoperable with the door closed to move the latching member fromengagement with the keeper member to thereby permit the door to beopened.

This invention relates to vehicle door latch mechanisms and inparticular to a latch mechanism having secondary means for disengagingthe latch from an operable condition to permit the door of the vehicleto be opened even though the operating elements of the latch areinoperable.

Recent Congressional interest in improved safety devices for automotivevehicles has manifested itself in the form of legislation enacted forthe purpose of improving the safety characteristics of such vehicles.One area that has received special attention has been in the area of thedoor latch mechanism. Studies have indicated that in the event of acollision, it is desirable for the doors of the vehicle to remain in aclosed position so that the occupants of the vehicle are retainedtherein. The reason for this is that when the vehicle doors fly open,the occupants are subjected to a risk of severe injuries as they areejected through the door opening.

Door latch mechanisms have been designed to maintain the doors closedunder high impact conditions, however such latch mechanisms often becomejammed in a collision so that the doors cannot be opened.

A conventional latch mechanism comprises a toothed rotor member which issupported by the door for selective rotation and engages a striker platemounted on the body pillar defining the door opening. The latchmechanism permits the rotor to rotate for engagement or disengagementwith the striker plate and is actuated by a push button on the exteriordoor panel or a remote control linkage on the interior door panel. Meansare provided in the latch mechanism for locking the rotor in the engagedposition so that it cannot rotate when it is in the engaged positionwith the keeper member. When the latch mechanism, as the result of acollision becomes damaged such that it cannot be operated to free therotor for rotation, the door is locked in place preventing the occupantsfrom exiting from the vehicle.

It is the broad purpose of the present invention to provide secondaryactuating means for separating the rotor from the striker plate andoperable even though the rotor is not free for rotation. In thepreferred embodiment of the present invention, which will besubsequently described in detail, the rotor is supported for movementtoward and away from the door frame. Normally the rotor projects in anoperative position beyond the door. It is supported in a track whichprovides means for slidably withdrawing the rotor within the doorbetween the inner and outer panels. Spring bias means normally urge therotor into its projected position so that it can engage the keepermember or striker plate mounted on the body pillar. A handle membersupported on the 3,385,620 Patented May 28, 1968 interior panel of thedoor is connected through appropriate linkage so that a force applied bythe occupant of the vehicle is effective to withdraw the rotor into thedoor and away from the striker plate so that the door can be opened.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide anemergency release for a vehicle latch mechanism operable independentlyof the normal release means.

It is another object of the present invention to provide secondary meansfor disengaging a vehicle latch mechanism of the type comprising a rotorsupported for rotation on the vehicle door and adapted to engage astriker plate carried on the body member defining the door opening andwhich permits separation of the rotor from the striker plate when therotor is in a non-rotatable condition so that it will not permit thenormal disengagement of the latch members.

Still further objects and advantages of the present invention willreadily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertainsupon reference to the following detailed description. The descriptionmakes reference to the accompanying drawings in which like referencecharacters refer to like parts throughout the several views and inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of the interior of a vehicleand illustrating the handle for operating a secondary latch mechanismforming a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the interior of the door illustratedin FIGURE 1 and showing the various operative parts of the latchmechanism; and

FIGURE 3 is an elevational sectional view of a preferred track forsupporting the rotor illustrated in FIG- URE 2 for movement toward andaway from an operative position and with parts broken away for purposesof clarity.

Description Now referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 illustrates thedrivers compartment generally indicated at 10 of a vehicle 12. Accessinto or out of the vehicle is gained by opening or closing a doorassembly 14. The door assembly is pivotally supported to the vehicle 12and moves between positions admitting or denying entrance through anopening defined by a door frame 16.

Now referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, the door assembly 14 carries a latchassembly generally indicated at 18 for engaging a striker plate 20mounted to the door frame 16. The latch assembly 18 is adapted to beoperated by a conventional push button mechanism (not shown) carried onthe exterior of the door assembly 14 or from a handle 22 supported onthe interior of the door assembly 14 and which is operative through alinkage 24 to operate the latch assembly 18.

An emergency release handle 26 preferably taking the form of a sphericalmember mounted within an open recess 28 in door assembly 14 is carriedat the free end of a crank member 20 which is pivotally carried by thedoor assembly between an outer panel 32 and an inner panel 34. Thehandle 26 is carried in a slotted connection which permits the handle 26to be moved between a normal rearward position A to a forward positionindicated in phantom at B. A link 36 having one end pivotally pinned tothe crank 30 provides means for transmitting the movement of the handle26 from A to B to the latch assembly 18.

Now referring to FIGURES 2 and 3, the latch assembly 18 includes atoothed rotor member 38 which is adapted to engage the striker plate 20when the door assembly 14 pivots to the closed position.

A cylindrical housing partially encloses the rotor 38 and has a lowercut-out portion exposing the lower half of the rotor to permitengagement of the teeth with the striker plate 20.

A shaft 42 supports the rotor 38 for selective rotation, the rotor beingattached to the outer end of the shaft by staking or other suitablemeans.

The shaft 42 extends through an aperture 44 provided in the door panel46 and is journaled for rotation in a bushing 43 carried by a supportingmember 50. The supporting member 50 is disposed in a housing 52 with aperiphery generally corresponding to the dimensions of the housing 52and a thickness less than one half the depth of the housing 52. Thesupporting member 50 is provided on its upper and lower surfaces with apair of spaced apart projections 54, each of which extends through anelongated slot 56 provided in the housing 52. The projections are guidedby the slots 56 to maintain alignment of the rotor 38, to providestability of the rotor in its engaged position, and to provide forwithdrawing the rotor 38 through the aperture 44 and into the interiorof the door assembly 14.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the rotor 38 is normally in its projectedposition C, but supported so that it can be withdrawn from the door to aposition D where it is spaced from the striker plate 20. The rotor 38 isnormally maintained in the projected position C by a spring bias member58 which is disposed between the supporting member 50 and a rear housingpanel 60.

As can best be seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, the shaft 42 carries a ratchet62 which is preferably peened to the shaft adjacent the housing.

A bracket 64 supports a handle contactor 66 by a pin 68 for pivotalmovement in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the shaft 42. Thehandle contactor 66 is provided with a finger 67 which is movable intoengagement with ratchet 62. The finger 67 has a sutficient length topermit the rotor 38 to be withdrawn within the door assembly 14 andseparated from the striker plate 20. The handle contactor is movableinto the out of its engaged condition with the ratchet 62 by anextension 70 which is operatively connected to an outside push buttontype door handle (not shown).

The handle contactor 66 is normally maintained by a spring member 74 inan engaged position so that it restricts rotation of the ratchet 62 andthe rotor 38. By depressing the outside door handle, the handlecontactor 66 pivots about the pin 68 so that it disengages the ratchet62, thus permitting the rotation of the shaft 42.

A locking lever 76 is pinned for rotation to the panel 32 by a pin 78and carries a pair of spaced apart fingers 80 and 82 which alternatelyengage the finger 70 of the contactor 66. By rotating the locking lever76 in a first direction, the finger 80 produces a downward force on thefinger 70 so that the handle contactor 66 disengages the ratchet 62. Aforce on the locking lever 76 in the opposite direction causes thefinger 82 to produce an upward force on the finger 70, thus moving thefinger 67 into engagement with the ratchet 62.

The locking lever 76 is provided with a contoured section 82 whichsubstantially encircles a key-locking lever 84. The key-locking lever 84is operatively connected to a conventional key cylinder (not shown) andis pivotal between a first position permitting the locking lever 76 topivot in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG URE 2 so thehandle contactor 66 can disengage the ratchet 62 and a second positionto lock the lever 76 in its clockwise position. The locking lever 76 isfurther provided with a second contoured section 86 engaging a remotecontrol lever 88 which is pinned for rotation to the panel 32. The outerend of lever 38 carries a locking stud 90 which is slidably disposed ina slot 92 provided in the link 94. The link 24 provides an operativeconnection between the inside door handle 22 and the handle contactor66, and is a well-known type of linkage in vehicle latch mechanisms.

Now referring again to FIGURE 2, the outer end of the shaft 42 isprovided with a spherical enlargement 94 which is seated in a retainermember 96 in a manner permitting relative rotation. The member 96 isthreadedly attached to a universal joint 98 which is connected to thelink 36. The link 36 is operatively connected to the crank arm 30 sothat the operator of the vehicle can withdraw the rotor 38 within thedoor assembly and away from the striker plate 20. Normally the link 36is immobile in its rearward position so that the enlargement 94 and themember 96 cooperate to permit the shaft 42 to rotate as the door isopened and closed.

By moving the emergency release handle 26 from its rearward position Ato its forward position B, the rotor 38 can be withdrawn within the doorby the occupant of the vehicle. This separation of the rotor 38 from thestriker plate 20 can be accomplished while the door is closed and eventhough the rotor is jammed in a nonrotatable condition preventing normaldisengagement of the rotor and striker plate by operation of the outsideor inside door handles.

It is to be understood that although I have described but one preferredembodiment of my present invention, and with reference to a particulartype of latch mechanism, that the broad concept of providing a secondarymeans for separating the operating members of the latch mechanism fromtheir engaged position and while the door is in its closed position, canbe applied to any conventional type of vehicle latch mechanism and thevarious modifications can be made in the preferred embodiment withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the scope ofthe accompanying claims.

Having described my invention, I claim.

1. In a vehicle having a door opening and a door selectively pivotallymovable between open and closed positions relative to the door opening,a latch mechanism for holding the door in a closed position including afirst latching member rotatably supported at the peripheral edge of thedoor and a second latching member supported on the frame defining thedoor opening, the first latching memher being normally selectivelyoperable by first actuating means between a first condition permittingrotation for engagement and disengagement with the second latchingmember upon movement of the door between the open and closed position,and a second condition wherein it is locked against rotation to preventdisengagement from the second latching member in the closed position ofsaid door, means for separating the first and second latching membersfrom one another when the door is in the closed position, comprising:

(a) means permitting axial displacement of said first latching memberfrom engagement with said second latching member and away from the edgeof said door including:

(i) means defining a guideway;

(ii) said first latching member being mounted on said guideway formovement between a first normal position wherein said first latchingmember engages said second latching member and a second position whereinsaid first latching member is separated from said second latchingmember;

(b) means normally biasing said first latching member toward said firstnormal position; and

(c) means providing a second actuating means accessible within thepassenger compartment of the vehicle and operative to transmit a forceapplied to said second actuating means to said first latching membertoward said second position in opposition to said biasing means so thatsaid first latching member is disengaged from said second latchingoperating member.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said guideway meanscomprises a pair of spaced apart parallel tracks mounted to said doorand extending perpendicular to the hinge axis of said door; a supportmember slidably carried on said tracks and movable thereon between apair of spaced apart positions, said support member having a bore and ashaft extending through said bore, said first latching member supportedfor rotation upon one end of said shaft; and means associated with saidshaft permitting selective rotation of said first latching member.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2, including a ratchet membercarried by said shaft, and said first actuating means being operativelyconnected for selectively engaging or disengaging said ratchet member sothat said shaft is locked or unlocked for rotation.

4. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein said support member isdisposed within a housing having a pair of spaced apart parallel walls,slots being defined in said walls, said support member havingprojections riding in said slots, and including spring bias means forurging said support member toward said second operating memher.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein the vehicle door isformed of a pair of spaced apart panel sections joined by a peripheralpanel section and said first operating member is movable between a firstposition projecting beyond said peripheral panel section and a secondposition withdrawn between said spaced apart panel sections.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5, including means for limiting thedisplacement of said first latching member from said first normalposition.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,635,028 7/1927 Burr et al.

1,821,879 9/1931 Calpin.

2,139,183 12/1938 Bruns.

2,195,282 3/1940 Pacy 292-68 X 2,475,478 7/ 1949 Clair.

2,709,102 5/1955 Phinney et al.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner.

